Film drying apparatus



July 21, 1953 J. L. CAHILL FILM DRYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001:. 29, 1947 1' III n INVENTOR.

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V4 770R NE) Patented July 21, 1953 FILM DRYING APPARATUS John Lewis Cahill, Floyd County, Ind. Application October 29, 1947 Serial No. 782,939

(Granted under Title 35, U. s. code (1952),

sec. 266) 3 Claims.

sheet material, plates, etc.

One object of the invention consists in the provision of a moisture remover of simple construction which may be operated by mere p sure of the knee thereby leaving the hands of the operator free to manipulate the film or other piece of material being operated upon.

Another object of the invention resides in constructing a vise type of squeegee wherein the scraping or cleaning elements may be brought into simultaneous engagement with the opposite sides of the film or the like by pressure on a single operating element.

A further object of the invention consists in providing a vise type of squeegee in which the squeegee elements are so arranged that a sharp edge of each of them may be brought into line engagement with opposed faces of the film.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the film drying apparatus mounted on a table and shown in operative position for stripping the moisture from a film;

Figure 2 through the pivot of one of the squeegee elements;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus; a d

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein the film drying apparatus is shown as mounted on a table top or the like indicated by the numeral I in Figure 1. The table top l is provided with a cutout portion 2 at one edge, the cutout portion being bordered by a pair of angle plates 3 to which the base member of the apparatus, comprising angle plates 4, is bolted or otherwise secured.

The upright portions of the angle plates 4 are rigidly connected and held in their spaced relationship by spacer rods 5 secured in position by screws 6 passing through the angle plates into the ends of the spacer rods.

is a fragmentary sectional view The squeegee element per se, of which there are two in number, comprises a block of rubber or the like 1, and each of these blocks is mounted between front and rear backing or clamping plates 8 and 9; the plates and blocks of each element being secured together by bolts l0 passing therethrough. Each of the plates 9, it will be noted, extends upwardly to the free end of its block I while the front clamping plate has its upper edge positioned a substantial distance below the upper end of its block 1 and is provided with a portion I I extending a substantial distance below the lower end of the block. Between each of the clamping plates 8 and 9 is a spacer plate l2 having downturned ends 13 as indicated in Figure 2. Intermediate its end the plate I2 is provided with webs l 4 paralleling the downturned ends l3 and provided With openings corresponding to openings provided in the end flanges l3 and serving with the openings in flanges [3 to receive a pivot rod I 5 which spans the space between the base members 4 and is held in position therein by means of screws 16.

For the purpose of operating the squeegee elements 7 each of them is provided with a pair of inwardly directed arms which are rigidly connected to its front plate 8. The arms of one of these pairs are indicated by the numeral I! and these arms are each provided with an arcuate slot [8. The pair of arms on the other squeegee element are substantially longer and are indicated by the numeral 19. The arms l9 are each provided with an inwardly directed pin or bolt 20 which is located in the arcuate slot N3 of its adjacent arm I! and the free ends of the arms [9 are bent downwardly and united by a cross bar 2| which may be engaged by the knee or other part of the body of the operator to swing the squeegees into closing or operative position while leaving his hands free for manipulating the film to be dried. A coil spring 22 has its ends anchored in pins 23 secured to the inner faces of the extensions H of the clamping plates 8 and serves to normally maintain the squeegee elements 1 in open position as indicated in Figures 4 and 5.

The operation of the apparatus will of course be understood from the foregoing description, but it may be mentioned that the film to be dried is lowered into the space between the squeegee elements 1 and the operator then presses his knee against the cross bar 2| to bring the upper ends of the squeegee elements into contact with the opposite sides of the film; the operators hands thus being free to raise the film and cause the upper edges of the rubber squeegee to drain the moisture therefrom. In this connection, it is to be noted that the pivots [5' on which the lower ends of the squeegee elements are mounted are spaced apart so that when the lever I9 is operated the camming action of the pin 20 and slot l8 will cause the upper ends thereof to be simultaneously moved toward each other and to contact the opposite sides of the film in a strai line transversely thereof.

The preferred form of the invention has been illustrated and has been described herein in detail, but it should be understood that the invention is susceptible of various alterations and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination a table top provided with a cutout portion at one edge thereof, a pair of vertically-arranged plates one disposed adjacent each edge of the cutout and extending upwardly therefrom, a pair of cooperating substantially rectangular squeegee elements extending across said cutout and pivoted at their lower edges to said plates, the distance between said pivots being less than the combined heights of the squeegee elements, and means for swinging said squeegee elements toward and from each other.

2. In combination a table top provided with a cutout portion at one edge thereof, a pair of vertically-arranged plates one disposed adjacent each edge of the cutout and extending upwardly therefrom, a pair of cooperating substantially rectangular squeegee elements extending across said cutout and pivoted at their lower edges to said plates, the distance between said pivots being less than the combined heights of the squeegee elements, and an operating arm connected to one of said squeegee elements and extending through said cutout to a point below the table top.

3. In combination a table top provided with a. cutout portion at one edge thereof, a pair of vertically-arranged plates one disposed at each end of the cutout and extending upwardly therefrom, a pair of cooperating substantially rectangular squeegee elements extending across said cutout and pivoted at their lower edges to said plates, the distance between said pivots being less than the combined heights of the squeegee elements, means for swinging said squeegee elements toward and from each other, said means including a pair of crossed arms rigidly connected to said squeegee elements, one of said arms extendin downwardly and forwardly to a point in front of and below the table top, a pin and slot connection between said arms to cause interdependent motion therebetween, and a spring for normally maintaining said squeegee elements in inoperative position.

JOHN LEWIS CAHILL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 145,778 Ball Dec. 23, 1873 177,716 Hoag May 23, 1876 396,436 Smith Jan. 22, 1889 488,984 Cathan Jan. 3, 1893 999,442 Field Aug. 1, 1911 1,299,143 De Voe Apr. 1, 1919 1,375,682 Dennis Apr. 26, 1921 1,388,688 Bailhacke Aug. 23, 1921 1,669,394 Ellis et al May 8, 1928 2,148,009 Bing Feb. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 547,184 France Sept. 14, 1922 

